To be someone
by littlemissrosebud
Summary: Death decides to intervene after too many lives are lost during the Second Wizarding War. He sends a young girl back in time to when it all started, to fix it. Will she succeed or crumble under the pressure of being the last hope for the wizarding world?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and anything recognizable belongs to J K Rowling.**

 **Chapter 1: The final battle.**

It was a gloomy day with great big grey clouds in the sky. The weather seemed to depict the impending doom that the war was bringing. Wizards and witches were dying left, right and center. People were locked up in their homes, hoping that they would be able to escape the war alive.

Numerous families had been torn apart and loved ones were lost. There was hardly any hope left…

In one home, a girl sat alone in her room, gazing at the grey sky and thinking about her life. She was only thirteen years of age and in normal circumstances she would have many more years to come, but now, no one knew whether they would be alive the next day or not.

Alexis was a bright girl and usually full of life. But she couldn't help but feel guilty for sitting peacefully in her home while many witches and wizards out there, were being tortured to insanity and put to death mercilessly.

'I can't wait for the war to get over!' she thought to herself. Because of the war, she was not allowed to attend Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry, which had been her dream since she was a little girl. Her parents wanted to keep her safe because everyone knew that Hogwarts was the main target of the self-proclaimed lord, Lord Voldemort.

Alexis jumped about a foot in the air when she heard her bedroom door creak ever so slightly. She looked up and saw her older brother walking in. She was fond of him but he could be a nuisance at times.

"Hi Alex, why do you look so glum?" he asked, ruffling her hair good naturedly.

"I am sick and tired of being stuck in this god awful house the entire day." She snapped. She could see a look of understanding cross her brother's face.

"Why don't you work on your transfiguration? I saw you having some trouble with it earlier." He said while sitting down opposite her on the bed. It was true that she was having a bit of trouble with the latest spell that they had learnt. Her parents tutored both of them at home since they weren't able to go to Hogwarts. They learnt everything that they would have been taught had they gone to Hogwarts and some other extra skills like healing, dueling and the mind arts. Even though the ministry traces were still on them, it only indicated that magic was being performed in that particular place but not who was performing it. And since both of her parents were magical, they didn't have to worry about getting caught.

Her parents were healers at St Mungo's, the wizarding hospital. While they were only trying to look out for her safety she couldn't help but feel extremely irritated at their over protectiveness.

She had always wanted to do something with her life. You could say that she was rather ambitious. With the war brewing, she wanted to do something now more than ever. With a sigh of resignation she resumed looking out the window which overlooked a field. They lived near the outskirts of Hogsmeade in a beautiful patch of land.

While she was looking out the window she realized that she had completely ignored her brother.

She looked up to see that he had dozed off on her bed. She shook her head fondly.

"Children, lunch is ready!" her mother called from downstairs. Her brother jolted awake and almost ran downstairs. Alex chuckled lightly and followed her brother but at a much slower pace.

The small family sat around the table and started eating their bread and soup. The atmosphere at the table was heavy.

"So Dad, how was your day?" Fred, Alex's brother asked, trying to break the deafening silence.

"It was fine. We had a lot casualties to attend to." Their father, Mr Nicholas Bluewell said. The last few days at the hospital had been hectic due to the number of people who got cursed by the death eaters.

They spent the rest of lunch in silence. There was nothing much to do at the house.

As the evening wore on, Alexis and Fred tried to pass their time by playing exploding snap or gobstones.

They were just packing up their gobstones set when they heard sounds of heavy footsteps.

Alex looked out of the window and her insides froze. Hundreds of death eaters were marching towards Hogsmeade. They were cursing every single person in their way. Some people tried to block their path but they just ended up getting hit by the killing curse. Alex stood there for a moment in shock and was blinded by flashes of the sickly green of the killing curse.

She heard a blood curdling scream and saw one of the death eaters torturing a young girl who looked to be around the age of seventeen. The death eater was smiling down at her evilly and was laughing coldly at the ear piercing screams.

Without another thought, Alex ran to the front door and opened it with a strength that she didn't know that she had. She ran outside and held her wand out in front of her. She stood to the sidelines and watched. She needed a plan.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" someone yelled from behind and she turned around, wand pointed at whoever it was. She saw her brother standing there looking panicked and slightly frustrated.

"I am helping, that's what I am doing." She said and went back to thinking of a proper plan of action.

She was pulled out of her thoughts again when her brother pulled her behind a large fence. She was about to snap at him when he started speaking again.

"You are too young to die Alex. Stop this at once. Do you think you will be able to stop a fully trained death eater who has years of experience?" he hissed.

"Well even if I can't, I am going to bloody well die trying." She spat back.

"No, go back inside at once. Mum and Dad must be searching for us. You can't die now, we will need you after the war is over." He said trying to reason with her.

"Even if the war is over, life will not get better. What are the odds that we will win? Look at how many death eaters there are. The Dark Lord has gathered half the dark creatures to his side. If he wins, we will be killed anyway." She said and pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"Very well, it seems that I won't be able to stop you. But I am going to protect you as much as I can and fight with you." He said.

Alex looked ready to argue but then suddenly a red beam of light whizzed over her head. Both brother and sister looked at each other and silently communicated. They hugged each other and then ran onto the street, away from the protection of the fence.

Alex started firing every spell she knew at the cloaked wizards and witches. She actually managed to hit four of them before a death eater caught sight of her and fired the torture curse at her which she dodged just in time. The death eater growled and then started firing spell after spell. Alex dodged a few but she had to raise a shield for some of the curses that came too close to her.

"Well, well it seems that you are a good duelist little girl." The death eater said in a patronizing voice. "With some training, you could be a good asset to the Dark Lord."

"I will never bow down to that sick lord of yours!" she spat. The death eater glared at her and then smiled at her. It was an evil, almost predatory smile.

"Well, don't say that I didn't give you a choice." He said and raised his wand and said in a deadly whisper, "Avada Kedavra". The spell zoomed at her at a ferocious speed. She looked at it in fascination and closed her eyes in acceptance of her impending death. She kept her eyes closed for a few more seconds but still didn't feel the impact of the spell. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Fred's body at her feet. She gasped. His eyes looked glassy and his lips were slowly turning blue.

She felt as if someone had melted all the bones in her legs and fell to the ground, desperately trying to assure herself that this was all just a bad dream.

She held her brother's body close and sobbed.

"Now, it's your turn!" the death eater said and pointed his wand at her. Alex looked up at him and felt hot white rage fill her up. She was going to kill this pathetic excuse of a man who had taken her brother away from her.

"I don't think so." She said and fired an impediment jinx at his feet which he was able to quickly dodge. The death eater fired the cruciatus curse at her which she blocked by levitating a rock in front of her. She shot a blood boiling curse at him and it hit him in his left shoulder. She quickly fired a stunner when he stumbled at the impact of the previous spell. The stunner hit its mark and he fell to the ground. She quickly walked up to him and picked his wand up and broke it. She smiled triumphantly at the stunned death eater before the smile was wiped off her face when she remembered what it had cost her. She was never going to see her brother again. She stood there, trying to come to terms with everything that had happened. She was also glad that her parents had seen fit to teach her some of the darker spells.

She looked down at the stunned death eater and gave him a kick in the ribs. She looked around and saw people fighting and bodies falling to the ground. She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't notice a green beam of light flying towards her. By the time she saw it, it was too late. It hit her right in the chest and she felt a horrible crushing sensation before everything went black.

Alex was spinning in what she thought was a long black tunnel. She thought about her current status and accepted her death. At least she would get to see her brother again.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Please tell me what you think and if any improvements need to be made.**


	2. Meeting Death

**Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and anything recognizable belongs to J K Rowling.**

 **Chapter 2: Meeting Death.**

The spinning slowly stopped and Alexis landed on solid ground. She could see the bright white light through her eyelids. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, for a moment everything was a blur and then her vision gradually came into focus.

The first thing she saw was a golden staff. She followed the length of the staff to the hand holding it. It was aged and wrinkled. She got up and looked at the man standing in front of her. He was wearing white robes and had a jovial face with kind, warm eyes.

She studied him for a while before looking at her surroundings. She was standing in a white room. There was nothing and no one inside the room apart from herself and the man standing in front of her.

She turned back to the man and he gave her a warm smile.

"I am sure you're wondering where you are." He said, finally breaking the silence.

Alex just nodded dumbly. She really didn't know what to say. There were a lot of things going through her mind right now, 'was she dead? If so, where was she?'

"You will find out in time, young one." The old man said kindly, almost as if he had read her thoughts.

"Can you please tell me what is happening?" Alex asked the man. She needed answers or she would go mad. The old man nodded slowly.

"Of course, young one. I think we should sit down as this is going to be a rather long conversation." He said and immediately two large armchairs appeared in the room.

Alex stared at it in astonishment before shaking her head and walking towards it. She sat down on the armchair and the man copied her actions.

He looked at her for a few minutes; it felt like he was looking into her very soul. But she was determined not to turn away from his gaze.

"You must be wondering who I am?" he stated more as a fact than a question. Alex nodded and looked at him expectantly. What he said next almost had her falling off her chair.

"I am Death." He said. She just looked at him and opened and closed her mouth several times. She was at a loss for words. Surely this man was joking.

"But…t-t-that's n-not po…" she began but was cut off mid-sentence by jovial laughter.

"I assure you that it is very much possible my dear." He said with a kind smile.

She searched his eyes and when she saw complete sincerity in them, she nodded for him to continue.

"You see the future is very bleak for the British magical community. I will now show you a little bit of the future and then explain everything." He said and then moved his fingers in a circular motion and a big opening appeared in the center of the white room.

Alex looked at curiously and tried to make out what it was. She could suddenly see something through the opening. Death waved his hand towards the portal so she went closer to it and looked through. Scenes flashed by quickly but slow enough for her to make out what was going on.

She saw the Dark Lord and Harry Potter dueling and then she saw the Dark Lord being defeated. She felt her heart beat increase rapidly in her excitement. He was finally defeated. This called for a celebration. Then she looked through the portal again and realized something, there was no one left to celebrate the defeat of the darkest wizard in modern history. Almost everybody was dead. Harry Potter was lying unconscious on the ground. She didn't know whether he was still alive or not.

The remaining wizards and witches who were alive did not have much hope as there was no one to tend to their injuries and they would most likely die of blood loss. She felt tears well up in her eyes. It was all over.

"You need to remember that the future is not set in stone." The wizened old man said, startling her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, sitting back in the armchair.

"It can always be changed can it not?" he asked her with a twinkle in his eyes.

The realization of what he meant suddenly dawned on her.

"But we cannot meddle with time." She said matter of factly. She remembered reading it in a book on the sands of time. It was terribly interesting. But she quickly brought her mind back to the present.

"I have been given permission from the fates to change the timeline, so yes, I think we can meddle with it, just this one time." Death said with a grin.

"But won't it prevent some important events from occurring. It could also stop some people from being born." Alex said. She wondered why Death was showing and telling her all these things in the first place.

"Yes it could. But the fates can erase the current timeline so it won't matter." He said after some contemplation.

"Why are you telling me this?" Alex asked him bluntly.

"I have a special task for you. That is if you are willing to take it up." He answered.

"What kind of task? And aren't I supposed to be dead?" she asked him and looked at him curiously.

"You are not exactly dead. You are in between the land of the living and the land of the dead. This task is a very important one and if you accept it, the future of the wizarding world will be in your hands." He said gravely.

"Wonderful. Just wonderful!" she said sarcastically.

Death ignored her and continued speaking.

"I want you to go back in time and fix things. It is a very dangerous task but I think you are the most capable out of everyone else." He said.

"How far back am I going to go?" she asked. She wondered if she would ever see her family again.

"You will be going back to 1940. To Tom Riddle's third year." He said as if he had just said that it was a rainy day.

"Who the hell is Tom Riddle?" she snapped. Why wouldn't this man just come out with it?

"Tom Riddle is the birth name of Lord Voldemort." He said with a small chuckle as if he had just told her a very funny joke.

Alex nearly fell off her chair. She looked ready to faint.

"Are you delusional old man? You want me to be in the same vicinity of the darkest wizard in history? What is wrong with you?" she ranted.

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. At that time he was not the darkest wizard in history yet."

"I am sure he was still a dark lord in the making then." She said.

"At this time, he was just a normal teenager like you. He was a very promising boy." Death said.

"So what do you want me to do? Kill him?" she asked him sarcastically.

"No, I want you to be his friend. While growing up Tom Riddle never had any friends, he only had followers."

"I wonder why." Alex said sarcastically.

Death ignored her and continued his speech.

"If you become his constant and turn him away from the dark path, you would be able to save hundreds of lives including his. I think he was just a young boy who made a wrong turn." Death finished and looked at her expectantly.

"So will you do it?" Death asked.

"Why should I do it?" Alex asked him. It would endanger her life and she would get nothing in return.

"Isn't it enough that you will be able to save many lives, including your brother's?" Death asked her.

Alex stared at him for a long time before finally relenting.

"Fine I will do it. But don't blame me if something goes wrong old man." Alex said with a glare.

"Of course not…" Death said with a merry twinkle in his blue eyes.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think.**


	3. Preparing for a journey through time

**Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and everything recognizable belongs to J K Rowling.**

 **Chapter 3: Preparations for a journey through time.**

Alex sat there, looking at Death, waiting for him to explain. She was still waiting for all of this to turn out to just be a really bad nightmare. She couldn't believe that she was actually going to be sent back through time. She had always wanted to do something important. To be someone, but this was definitely not what she had in mind. She thought over her task. She had to make friends with the bloody dark lord. She didn't know if it was even possible to make friends with such a person. And even though she didn't want to admit it, a small part of her was scared that she would fail.

Alex wondered if the fates were playing some kind of cruel prank on her. What was so special about her that they had chosen her for this task? She was just a normal teenage girl and nothing more, or so she thought. She missed her parents and her brother. Would she even see them again?

She also felt guilty for her brother's death. If she hadn't gone to fight the death eaters, he would still be alive. How could she have been so stupid? Yet she couldn't help but feel a small amount of satisfaction when she thought of the five death eaters that she had struck down.

"We have a lot to discuss. This is a very important task and if you fail, it could end up making things worse. But the fates have chosen you and they have faith in you." Death said, startling Alex out of her thoughts.

"So what do I need to know to succeed in this important task?" she said, making air quotes with her fingers.

"It's quite simple actually. All you need to do is stop him from going dark." Death said. He regarded the girl in front of him curiously. The fates had told him that she would be the one to bring peace to the land. She sat there in front of him with an expression of incredulity on her face.

Meanwhile, Alex's thoughts were racing; surely it couldn't be that simple? She knew there was more to this, much more. Would she be able to return to her own time? What would people think when she suddenly appeared out of thin air? There were so many questions in her mind that were unanswered. It was frustrating.

"I am sure it's not going to be all that simple. We are talking about the dark lord here." She said.

"Yes. The concept is simple enough but actually doing it might be slightly difficult. So let us start with any questions that you might have." Death said.

"Will I be able to return to my own time after I complete the task?" Alex asked. This was it. This would be the deciding factor. She really hoped he said yes. She really did not want to be stuck in the 40's.

"Yes you will be able to return to your own time if you wish. If you do, you will not remember anything that occurred during this life. Even if you can, I have a feeling that you would not want to return to your own time." He said with a knowing twinkle.

"Why wouldn't I want to return to my own time? I have no family there. Nowhere to live after I finish school and…"Alex said but was cut off when Death raised his hand and started to speak.

"You will understand in time. Now I have some very important things to tell you. Tom Riddle's mother died while giving birth to him at the orphanage that he grew up at. His mother was a witch and his father was a muggle." Death said and watched Alex closely to see her reaction.

"He was a half-blood?! That bloody hypocrite. Those death eaters who preach blood purity so much are actually bowing down to a half- blood? If this situation wasn't so serious, it would have been hilarious." Alex said or more like screamed.

"Yes. He was smart. He used their own beliefs to bring them to his side. He used their beliefs to come to power and gain strong allies." Death said, slowly nodding his head.

"His mother's name was Merope Gaunt. She was a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Tom Riddle was the heir of Slytherin through his mother. Now, he only found out his heritage in his fifth year when the chamber of secrets was opened. I want you to tell him about as soon as you go back in time. It is important for him to know about and understand it fully. Once he comes of age he will be the head of the Noble and Most Ancient house of Slytherin." Death explained.

Alex's head was reeling with everything she had just been told. He was the heir of Slytherin? She had also read about the chamber of secrets in her copy of Hogwarts: A history. It was believed to be a legend, but here she was being told that it actually existed. She was shocked but she quickly got over it and asked Death the question that was at the forefront of her mind.

"But won't telling him about it cause more harm than good?" she asked him. How was giving him more power going to help? The ancient houses all had seats in the Wizengamot. She knew this because her father was the head of the Noble house of Bluewell. It was not an ancient house as it had been around for only one century.

"It might, but I am hoping that his duties as head of an ancient and noble house will keep him busy enough to stop him from thinking about becoming a dark lord." Death said. "You must understand that whatever step we take, it will still have its risks and it is a risk that we will just have to take." Death continued. He looked at Alex to see if she had understood everything that she had been told till now.

Alex looked at Death and nodded for him to continue. She knew that anything that they did could have unexpected consequences. She had to plan everything properly and carefully, she could not overlook anything.

"After he finds out about his heritage, I suggest that you take a trip to the village of Little Hangleton. That was where Tom's parents lived. His maternal uncle Morphin is still alive. He is a drunkard and almost a squib. He has the Gaunt ring. I want you to take Tom with you and acquire the ring." Death said.

"Why do we need the ring? What does that have to do with anything?" Alex asked him with a perplexed look on her face.

"That ring currently plays host to the resurrection stone." Death said with a small grin.

Alex was even more perplexed now. She remembered vaguely hearing about it once. She racked her brains and then it suddenly hit her; the story of the three brothers. Her eyes widened slightly in astonishment and Death smirked at her.

"Yes, the legend of the three brothers is true. The deathly hallows exist and one of them belongs to Tom. With the resurrection stone, one can recall loved ones from the grave." Death said.

"But what will he do with it?" Alex asked him. Where was Death going with this? Her brain was muddled with the number of things she had just learnt. She swore to herself that she was going to take a long nap after this was over.

"You will know with time, but I must tell you that it is very important that you acquire the stone. It is something that will help Tom." Death said with a knowing look in his eyes.

"What name will I take once I go there? Bluewell is a known family in the wizarding world." Alex stated. It was a question that had been plaguing her mind for some time.

"Don't tell anyone your last name until you go to Gringotts. Once you go there you will know what to do. And don't worry; I will stop people from enquiring about your last name." Death explained.

Alex nodded. She only had two more questions that needed to be answered. She couldn't help but feel excited about her mission. And she was also going to be able to go to Hogwarts! She just hoped that everything went according to plan.

"When you send me back in time, when will I reach and where will I be deposited?" Alex asked him.

"You will reach on the 20th of July 1940. You will be dropped at Hogsmeade, just outside the Hogwarts gate. You will know what to do after that." Death said. He stood up and motioned her to follow him. Alex got up and fell into step with Death.

"Where are we going?" she asked him, wondering whether there was anything apart from the white room. "We are going to the room that holds the portal of time". Alex nodded her head and continued walking. They walked for fifteen minutes before they reached a large mahogany door. Death opened the door and entered with Alex close behind him.

Alex walked into the room hesitantly. This room like the previous one was also completely white. There was a floating vortex in the center of the room and Alex couldn't help but feel scared at what she was about to do. This was going to change the rest of her life, for better or for worse.

"Don't be afraid, I have faith in you." Death said with optimism that Alex just couldn't have when one was entering a situation as dangerous as this.

She took a few steps towards the time portal until she was right in front of it and staring into its dark depths. She looked back at Death and gave him a small smile before she put one leg into the portal and got completely sucked into its dark depths…

"Have faith for I know all will be right in the end." Death murmured to himself before going out the door they had walked through just minutes ago.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Please read and review.**

 **Edited on 21st December 2016**

 **There aren't any major changes in the plot line, I have only removed the part about the fates because I felt it just didn't fit into the story and some minor spelling errors here and there have been corrected. Hope everyone is still enjoying this story. I will try to update soon.**


	4. Reaching the past

**Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and anything recognizable belongs to J K Rowling.**

 **Chapter 4: Reaching the past.**

The people of Hogsmeade were enjoying a sunny afternoon. There were witches and wizards bustling about, doing their shopping or having a good time with their friends. There was nothing unusual about this wizarding settlement. People had no major worries and there was a general feeling of happiness in the air.

Suddenly there was a drop in temperature and the speed of the light breeze increased tremendously. Although, this sudden change went unnoticed by the people, it was still happening. Behind a few trees, a young girl was sprawled out on the ground, a young girl who was about to change everything for the better.

Alex sat up wearily and looked around her. She looked at the peaceful village. It was a familiar sight. There were the same shops, except they looked newer. But the similarities ended there. In her time, the atmosphere was filled with fear and apprehension. No one dared to wander around the village after dark. She slowly got up and walked closer to one of the shops. She was glad that she was wearing robes as they wouldn't change much in the next 50 years or so.

She went to one of the shops and asked the shopkeeper for the Daily Prophet. She looked at the date or more specifically the year. It was 1940. She really had traveled back in time. It was not just some really bad nightmare. She was here to save everything she held close to her. At that moment, Alex promised herself that she wouldn't fail. She knew what she had to do.

She looked around and a feeling of nostalgia swept over her. How she wished everything could remain the same. She walked towards the Three Broomsticks. It was full of life and cheer. Alex couldn't help but smile at the sight. She walked towards the bar and spotted a young woman standing behind the bar and shouting orders. She stood in front of the woman and cleared her throat to gain her attention. The woman looked up and gave her a bright smile.

"What can I do for you?" the woman asked pleasantly. Alex smiled back at her and started off hesitantly. "I was wondering if I could use your floo?" she asked politely.

"Sure you can dearie. That will be three knuts." She said and nodded her head towards the fireplace.

"Thank you, but the thing is I do not have any money with me right now." Alex said nervously. Why couldn't Death give her some money? Stupid old goat, she prayed to all the gods that she would be allowed to use the floo. She couldn't waste any more time.

The bar woman seemed to be contemplating it. Alex waited with bated breath. "Ok, you can use the floo. It seems like you are in a hurry." The woman said with a kind smile.

"Thank you so much. I don't know how I could ever repay you." Alex gushed and smiled at the kind lady. She almost ran towards the floo and bumped into many people along the way, many of them who were saying "watch where you're going, young lady!" but Alex just ignored them.

She took a small handful of floo powder and steeped into the fireplace. She took a deep breath and called out clearly; "The Leaky Cauldron". She felt the familiar spinning and the next moment she was almost thrown out of the fireplace but she managed to stay on her feet, which was a result of years of practice.

She looked around the Leaky Cauldron. It looked just like it did in her time; dark and dingy, there were several wizards and witches walking through the doors of the pub. She walked out to the back into a small alleyway. She took out her dark brown wand and immediately felt the warmth rush through her body from her fingertips. She tapped the stone bricks in the familiar pattern; the bricks began to rearrange themselves into a small archway. Alex looked out at Diagon Alley and smiled, it looked just as busy as ever. She walked down the alley towards a big white marble building; Gringotts.

She walked in and went straight to one of the goblins.

"Excuse me?" Alex said politely. The one thing she learnt was to not get on the wrong side of a goblin. They were not a race to be crossed with. The goblin looked up at her with a noncommittal grunt.

"I would like to have an inheritance test please." She said. The goblin looked at her for almost a minute before slowly nodding.

"Very well, my name is Sharptooth. Follow me." The goblin said, getting off its stool. Alex followed the small goblin through several corridors before they came upon a dark wood door. The goblin opened the door and walked in with Alex in tow. The room was bare except for a table and two chairs. The goblin took out a silver dagger, a small phial of blue liquid and a sheet of parchment.

"Put three drops of blood into this phial." The goblin said as he passed her the dagger and phial.

Alex pulled out the stopper in the phial and put it on the table. She picked up the dagger and hesitantly sliced open her palm and winced slightly. She held her palm over the phial and waited till three drops of her blood fell into it. As she pulled her hand back, it started to heal and a few seconds later there was no indication that she had even cut her palm in the first place. She supposed that the dagger was a magical one.

The blue liquid turned a bright red colour. The goblin picked up the phial and poured the liquid onto the sheet of parchment in front of him. Soon lines and letters appeared on the parchment.

Alex stared at the parchment in complete astonishment. Her name led straight to the last descendant of The Ancient and Noble House of Westwood. That line had supposedly been extinct for the past two hundred years. 'How come my parents didn't know about this?' she mused to herself as she got over the initial shock, she tried to assure herself by thinking that they had just not checked and were never made aware of it. 'Yes that is a reasonable explanation.' She told herself and took a deep breath and looked up. Even the goblin looked slightly surprised.

"I would like to look at the contents of my vaults then." She said clearly, this time a little more confidently than before.

"Of course: Lady Westwood. I will bring the necessary documents immediately." The goblin said and walked out of the room.

Alex couldn't believe everything that was happening. She was getting one too many shocks today. She was the new Lady Westwood. She had a seat on the Wizengamot but she couldn't sit on it till she came of age. She would have to assign a proxy, 'Great another thing that I have to take care of.' She thought to herself sarcastically. She was jerked out of her musings by a loud thump on the table in front of her. She looked up to see a large stack of parchments and the grumpy face of Sharptooth. The goblin went through the stack and pulled out a parchment and handed it to her with a horrific smile. He surely lived up to his namesake. Alex felt a shiver go down her spine at the sight of the white rows of sharp teeth.

She took the parchment and gave the goblin a curt nod. She looked at the parchment and gasped loudly. Later she would swear that her heart actually stopped beating. She went through the parchment again.

Liquid Holdings: 6 million galleons, 12 million sickles and 8 million Knuts. (Vaults 616-620)

Family heirlooms: jewelry, books (500 numbers) and portraits. (Vaults 544-545)

Armory: contains swords, daggers, shields and bows and arrows. (Vaults 546)

Alex went through it several times to reassure herself that she wasn't just imagining it. She looked up and handed the parchment back to the goblin with shaky hands. The goblin handed her another parchment and she took it hesitantly.

The parchment was a deed to Westwood Manor which was located in the countryside. The address wasn't specified as the manor was under the fidelius charm.

"Since you are a descendant, the wards will automatically be tied to you. You will be able to portkey out of the wards and once it identifies you as the owner, you will be notified of the address." The goblin said.

Alex nodded slowly and placed the deed on the table. She was shocked to say the least but she was pleased that she had enough money to live comfortably in this time period. Actually she could live for five generations with utmost luxury with the amount of money she had but she decided not to let it go to her head.

"I would like to make a withdrawal please." She said clearly to the goblin.

The goblin nodded and directed her towards the carts. She got onto the cart with a small amount of trepidation. She never did like the cart rides much, they always managed to make her sick. The goblin pulled a small lever and the cart took off at a great speed. Alex tried not to look down lest she become even more scared than she already was. They went through two tunnels and went down at a breakneck speed. The cart finally came to stop. The goblin got off the cart and held a small lantern up to shed some light on the huge metal doors.

Alex put her palm on the door just like she had seen her father do it. She felt a small prick on her forefinger. There was a bright flash of red that blinded her for a second before she could hear the doors open with a large creak. She looked inside the vault and stopped dead in her tracks. There were piles and piles of gold everywhere, Alex shook herself out of it and walked inside the vault. The goblin handed her a small pouch that had an undetectable extending charm and feather light charm on it. It was a product of Gringotts that could be bought at a small fee.

She quickly filled her pouch with a few handfuls of galleons. She stopped filling it when she felt she had enough. She handed a few galleons to the goblin for the pouch and made her way to the cart. The journey back up was just as bad as the journey down. Once Alex reached ground level, she converted some of her money into muggle money and left Gringotts with a large smile on her face.

Alex went to Madame Malkin's and bought a few casual robes and two formal ones. She also bought a trunk and put her purchases inside it. After that she went to muggle London and bought some muggle clothes. She could see muggles looking at her oddly at her robes. She went back to the Leaky Cauldron and changed into her muggle clothes, after all she couldn't go to a muggle orphanage in robes.

After a simple but filling lunch at the dark pub, Alex headed out its doors and took out her wand and focused all her thoughts on going to the orphanage. There was a loud pop and a purple double decker bus appeared in front of her; the Knight bus. She hopped onto the bus with her trunk in tow and hoped that everything would go according to plan.

"Where do you want to go?" the conductor asked her. He was a middle aged man who looked downright bored.

"Wool's Orphanage, London." She said. She could see the sympathy in the man's eyes. She appreciated it but couldn't help but feel slightly irritated, she didn't want people to pity her. She did not need pity.

The bus took off at a great speed and passed in between vehicles. It came to a sudden halt in front of two big metal gates. The paint was chipped and the metal bars around the building made it look like a prison. To say the least, the building looked very depressing.

Alex hopped off the bus and smiled at the conductor one last time before looking at the gates nervously. To some muggles it looked like she had just appeared out of thin air but most just passed it off as a figment of their imagination.

Alex looked at the grey building and took a deep breath. Little did she know how hard this was going to be.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks! To everyone who reviewed, I appreciate your reviews immensely. Tell me how I can improve this story. Read and review!**


	5. Getting settled in

**Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and anything recognizable belongs to J K Rowling.**

Chapter 5: Getting settled in…

Alexis looked up at the dreary grey building, it looked plain and worn down. She gently pushed open the rusted front gate and walked inside. She looked around and then headed towards the big, brown wooden doors. She knocked on the door a few times before a young girl, who only looked a few years older than her, opened it. The girl had dark brown hair and was short and petite. She looked at Alexis questioningly.

"How may I help you?" the girl asked plainly.

"I would like to stay here please…" Alexis blurted out.

"And why would you want to do that?" she sneered.

Alexis immediately felt a wave of dislike towards the other girl wash over her. But before she could answer, a plump, middle-aged woman stepped into her sight. The woman looked kind and welcoming but also tired and frazzled.  
"Now, who are you dearie?" the woman asked kindly.

"Alexis Westwood, ma'am." She answered respectfully. She really hoped she would be allowed to stay here because if she wasn't then all her plans would fall apart and history would repeat itself.

"How may we help you?" the woman asked but there was a knowing look on her face.

"My parents passed away…" Alexis' voice trembled as she spoke. "They died during a bombing" she said, as this was the excuse that Death had told her she could use since there was a muggle war going on. Tears started falling out of her eyes as the full extent of what she was doing hit her after saying it out aloud. She tried to stop the tears by telling herself that she could meet her family once she completed her mission in the past, but it was no use as the tears kept falling endlessly.

"I am sorry for your loss dear. My name is Ms Cole and I am the matron of this orphanage. You can stay here. I see that you have already brought along your belongings. Emily here will show you to your room." The woman said with a sympathetic smile on her face. She ushered Alexis, who had some control of herself by now, into the grey building.

The inside of the building wasn't much better than the outside. The walls were painted white but most of the paint had started cracking. The floors had grey tiles that were spotlessly clean but gave the entire place a dull and dreary look that made Alexis want to turn around and get as far away from the orphanage as she could. She could see children a few years younger than her playing and running around, causing them to get reprimands from Ms Cole. The smiles on some of their faces reassured Alexis.

She was so busy looking at her new place of residence that she walked right into someone. She looked up quickly to apologise before she saw the disgusted sneer on the person's face. It was a boy who looked to be around her age, he was at least a head taller than her and much too skinny to be considered healthy. Alexis supposed that this was because of the dismal dining provided at the orphanage but pushed it to the back of her mind and glared at the teenage boy.

If she had seen the panicked look that crossed Emily's face, she would have gotten an idea of exactly who she was glaring at. The boy glared back at her before roughly shoving past Alexis. Alexis continued watching his retreating back before she was pulled out of her stupor by Emily's condescending voice.

"Hurry along now! I don't have all day!" Emily said as she tugged harshly on Alexis' arm. Alex nodded her head not wanting to make an enemy on her first day itself, though she doubted that she would ever get along with the older girl.

"This is the dining hall and that door to the right leads to the kitchen. The back garden is that way." The older girl said as she pointed to the left. Alexis looked around the dining hall. It wasn't anything extraordinary. It was a medium sized room with a long table running down the middle and a metal counter to the right of the table, next to the kitchen door.

Emily quickly turned around and quickened her pace probably wanting to finish her job as soon as possible. Alexis walked quickly to keep up with the older girl. Emily walked towards a set of wooden stairs that looked like they would collapse at the slightest touch. She walked up the stairs with Alex following her. She pitied herself even more after looking at her living conditions for the next few years. Even though Alex never lived in a huge mansion or lavish palace, she had lived most of her life in a comfortable home with loving parents who catered to her every need. Alex wondered whether this was all really worth it. 'Am I really going to be able to change him? If I fail then all of this would be for nought…'

She was brought out of her musings when she heard the click of a door opening. They had reached the room that she would be staying in. Alex looked at her room. It had a bed to one corner and a small wardrobe opposite it. Under the sole window of the room was a small writing table that lacked a chair. The mattress was thin and hard and didn't look like it would provide much comfort. It was covered with a thin blanket that promised no warmth during the harsh winters of England. It was definitely not a comfortable room but Alex decided that she would be able to make do with it.

"Hope you enjoy your new quarters!" Emily said with false cheeriness before walking away .  
Alexis shook her head as she watched the rude, older girl walk away. No wonder Lord Voldemort hated muggles. She would too if all of them behaved the way Emily did. She shut the door before sitting on her bed. This was it…she had reached the past. Now she had to plan her actions carefully before carrying them out. She couldn't afford to make any mistakes; it would cost her too much. A few tears escaped her eyes as she thought about the world that she had left behind, the one with her family but also the one with a war that resulted in numerous deaths…she wondered when lunch was, she had completely forgot to ask Emily about the meal timings though she felt it was the other girl's responsibility to tell her. Her stomach ached with hunger but as far as she knew there was still some time left before lunch would be served.

She lay down on her bed and closed her eyes, hoping to sort out her thoughts. She really had no clue how to start this entire mission. She didn't even know what Tom Riddle looked like for Merlin's sake!

Death had told her that all that was needed to save Tom Riddle was friendship but surely someone would have tried to be his friend? It wasn't possible for a person to have not even one friend in their entire lifetime, Alexis thought to herself. She imagined it would be miserable to go through life on her own with no one at her side. Alex actually pitied Tom Riddle, even Voldemort for that matter.  
As she thought about her next step she really wished she could use her magic. She wouldn't be able to use magic as long as she was in the orphanage. It would be easily detected and she would have ministry officials behind her, faster than she could say Merlin. Everything would be so much easier if she could use magic outside school. As she thought about it, she realized that she could make her room much more comfortable if she was allowed the use of her wand. She quickly pushed the idea away before she got tempted to actually try it. 'If only I could use magic…' she thought to herself before closing her eyes and falling into a much needed sleep. As Alexis slept, someone looked at her with a smile on his face, quietly chuckling to himself before deciding to communicate with the sleeping girl through her dreams. Death's eyes twinkled before he quickly looked into Alex's mind.

Meanwhile someone else was drowning in his own thoughts. This someone was the boy Alexis had previously bumped into. That boy was currently sitting in the back garden much farther from the other children, under a shady tree that almost blocked all view of him. He rested his pale face in the palm of his hand as he tried to push away the despair that threatened to overcome him. Yes, Tom Riddle really did hate the orphanage and every one of its other occupants. He couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts away from the presence of these 'filthy muggles'. Their mere presence brought a sneer to his face. He waited for the day that he would come of age and would finally be able to leave this wretched place. He remembered the girl he had bumped into earlier in the day. He remembered the way she had glared. Well, he would soon put the muggle in her place.

No one crossed him and he made sure to keep it that way. This new girl would just have to learn it the hard way. Tom smirked to himself as he thought about how easy it was for him to scare people into submission. He had the entire orphanage terrified of him; this included the workers and Ms Cole. They had learnt not to anger him lest something bad happens to the one who ignited his anger. Tom heard a voice. It was more of a hiss than anything really. He smirked before looking for the owner of the voice. He found the small garden snake slithering towards him from behind a rock nearby.

Tom had discovered his unusual ability to talk to snakes long before he got his first Hogwart's letter. It had definitely helped him establish control over the children of the orphanage. The first time they saw Tom talking to snakes at the tender age of four, they had mocked him thinking that he was trying to imitate the snake. They had laughed at him before evilly killing the snake in front of the small boy's eyes. That was when his burning hate for muggles really sparked. The way they killed his first companion without any remorse disgusted him to the very bone and it still did…little did he know that he would be doing the same to thousands of people years into the future.

Tom looked at the small green garden snake before picking it up. The snakes in and around the orphanage came often to converse with Tom. Even though he never admitted it, Tom was glad for their company.  
"Friend, are those horrid creatures troubling you?" the snake hissed dangerously while looking at the children playing some distance away.

"They wouldn't dare to." Tom said with a smirk and a little bit of arrogance. "But I trust that I can call upon your services when I need them?" he said though it was more of a question, looking at the small snake for confirmation although he was sure that none of the snakes would hesitate to help him. They would be more than happy to wreak havoc.

"Of course!" the snake hissed, sounding slightly affronted that Tom would even ask such a question.

"Very well, I hope to converse with you later but for now I have to leave." Tom hissed as he heard the bell for lunch ring. He received a tiny nod from the snake. Tom placed the tiny snake on the ground before walking towards the orphanage building. He looked up at its grey walls and really couldn't help but wish that he was back at Hogwarts.

Alexis heard a distinct ringing sound. She wondered whether she was dreaming it. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open before she remembered the dream that she had had. Death had come to her. Was it real or was it just a figment of her imagination?

 _'Alexis found herself standing face to face with Death in the same white room where she had first met the old goat._

 _He appeared out of nowhere, almost startling her out of her wits. Alex looked at Death waiting for him to say something. The two of them just stared at each other before she lost her patience._

 _"Are you going to say something or just wait till I grow as old as you?" she asked impatiently._

 _"That would indeed take an extremely long time my dear…" Death said with a small chuckle._

 _Alex looked at him, waiting for him to continue. She wanted to know why he was here and patience was definitely not one of her strong points._

 _"I have decided to grant your request. It's the least that I can do after placing such a heavy burden on your shoulders." Death said with an apologetic half smile._

 _"What request?" Alex asked. She had no idea what he was talking about. Did she even make any requests earlier that slipped her mind? She thought to herself._

 _"Your request to use magic…" Death said, answering her unasked question. "You will be able to use your magic without being detected by the Ministry of Magic or anybody else for that matter."_

 _"But how are you going to make that possible?" Alexis asked, looking curiously at Death._

 _"There are many things that I can make possible my dear. I did bring you back in time after all. But I do not have much time left here. Better be off. Do take care of yourself Alexis." Death said with a warm smile. Before Alexis could say another word, Death was gone and she heard a ringing sound fill her ears…'_

Now that she thought it over, Alexis was almost sure that it was real and not just a meaningless dream. She decided to try some magic later and test it out. It was risky but it was a risk that she just had to take. For now, she opened her door and saw most of the children walking towards the dining hall. It was time for lunch and Alexis couldn't wait to eat, her stomach rumbled just at the thought of food. Time travel was definitely draining.  
She walked into the dining hall and fell into line with the rest of the children. She received some curious glances from some of the other children though there were some that looked like they couldn't care less about her presence. Alex was thankful that nobody was trying to talk to her. The last thing she needed at the moment was meaningless conversation while she was trying to formulate her plan to find out who Tom Riddle was.

Alexis finally reached the counter ten minutes later. She was handed a tray with a bowl of soup, boiled potatoes and a slice of bread. The meal didn't look very appetising but Alexis was so hungry that she could anything that was given to her. She thanked the woman who had given her the tray. The woman nodded in welcome before turning towards the girl behind Alex.

Alex searched for a place to sit. Most of the seats were full. She noticed something odd; there were a handful of seats around the boy that she had bumped into earlier that were empty. Nobody even walked towards those seats and she saw some people standing even though there were clearly at least four empty seats near the boy. Alex's heart went out to him for some reason. She decided to sit in the seat opposite him.

As she pulled the chair back to sit down, the boy looked up at her before looking back at his food. He was actually trying to hide a wicked smile that escaped Alex's notice.  
Before Alex could open her mouth she felt someone roughly tug her up and pull her to a corner. She saw Emily looking panicked and slightly annoyed.

"What are you doing?" Emily hissed, anger lacing her every word.

"Sitting down to eat my food…" Alex whispered back.

"You shouldn't be sitting next to him. He is dangerous, that boy." Emily said, some of her worry seeping through.

"Dangerous? He looks completely harmless to me." Alexis said feeling confused. What had this boy done that had Emily so worried?

"Sitting next to Tom Riddle is just an invitation for trouble. It is my responsibility unfortunately to inform you of this. Now it would be better if you sat elsewhere." Emily said quickly, looking around to see if Riddle was looking at them.

Riddle smiled wickedly as he saw one of the other girls come and pull the new girl off her seat. Probably to warn her about him, it looked like putting this girl in her place wouldn't be very difficult since others were doing it for him already. He decided that with the assistance of his snakes, he would be able to scare the girl into submission, maybe even scar her for life just like he had many years ago in regards to those two children in the cave by the beach.

Meanwhile Alexis felt like jumping for joy, blissfully unaware of Riddle's plans for her. Her happiness was short-lived though as she remembered the way she had glared at him. She had already made a bad impression she realized with dread.

Alexis decided she had no other choice but to try and talk to him and apologise about what had happened earlier.

She walked back to her seat, ignoring Emily's sputters of anger behind her. As she sat down once again, she could see a small hint of surprise in the boy's, 'no Riddle's eyes' she corrected herself. His surprise was quickly masked and he stared at her coldly. Alexis knew at that moment that talking to him was going to be an extremely daunting challenge but she had faith in herself. After all how hard could it be to talk to a boy, that to one her own age? The fact that he could grow up into one of the most feared dark wizards of all time kept nagging at the back of her mind.

 **A/N: I am extremely sorry for keeping all of you waiting for such a long time. I hope you enjoyed this chapter though! It's the longest chapter yet. I want to thank everyone who is following this story as well as those of you who have marked it as a favourite. I would love to hear from you, so please review! I will address any questions or suggestions that any of you have in the author's note in the next chapter.**


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